Shloka 1023
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
क्रोशन्तस्तात पुत्रेति दैवोपहतचेतस: । प्रभो! वे भागे हुए सैनिक एक-दूसरेको पहचान नहीं पाते थे। दैववश उनकी बुद्धि मारी गयी थी। वे “हा तात! हा पुत्र!” कहकर अपने स्वजनोंको पुकार रहे थे
krośantastāta putreti daivopahatacetasaḥ |
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Tinamaan ng tadhana ang kanilang isip, kaya sila’y sumigaw, “Ama! Anak!” Sa kaguluhan ng pagtakas at pagpatay, hindi nila makilala ang isa’t isa; salat sa malinaw na paghatol, tinatawag nila nang walang magawa ang sarili nilang mga kaanak—larawan ng pagbagsak ng dangal sa digmaan, kung saan ang ugnayang pantao’y nauuwi sa mga sigaw ng paghihirap sa gitna ng karahasang walang pinipili.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war annihilates discernment and humane order: when minds are 'struck by fate' (daivopahata), even basic recognition and restraint collapse, and the deepest social bonds—father and son—surface only as helpless cries. It implicitly warns that violence breeds moral and cognitive ruin, not merely physical defeat.
Sañjaya describes the terrified, fleeing warriors after the nocturnal slaughter: disoriented and unable to identify one another, they wail “O father! O son!” calling for their relatives. The scene conveys panic, darkness, and the breakdown of cohesion among the troops.